


Can You Feel The (Freezing Cold) Love Tonight?

by thankyouforexisting



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Art-inspired, Boys Being Awkward, Broom flying, Clothes, Damn u Luu, First Date, First Kiss, Fluff, Gibbous Moon Implied, Implied First Time, Kisses, M/M, MWPP, Magic, Marauders' Era, Muggle Concert, Slight Internalized Homophobia, Werewolf Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-27 11:36:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6282997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thankyouforexisting/pseuds/thankyouforexisting
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I can’t do this."</p><p>“Oh no you don’t,” Lily snapped (they’d gotten much closer since the Underwear Incident That Is Never Mentioned Unless You Like Dealing With A Grumpy James), flapping at his hands with determination, “You are going to do this,and you will be spectacular, and you will tell me all about your sex life while I pretend it isn’t Sirius Black you’re talking about.”</p><p>“I’m not sure being invited to a concert ends in intercourse, Evans. I’m pretty sure it was just a hang out, you know. Just, uh, a ‘bromance’ thing.” He frowned, “And I wouldn’t talk to you about my sex life, Merlin. I’m calm, anyway.”</p><p>The redhead raised an eyebrow, pointing at the pile of blankets that Remus had used as a hiding place until she’d stormed in, demanding he give her his DADA notes. She’d found Remus trying to stealthily leave the country and become a hermit in Scotland under the name of “Humphrey Bogart”. ("It was legal," he'd protested weakly.)<br/>// in which Sirius is delighted, Remus is confused, and everyone laughs at them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can You Feel The (Freezing Cold) Love Tonight?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [luullaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/luullaby/gifts).



> ...I blame luullaby entirely for this because of her amazing  wolfstar drawing  (http://luullaby.tumblr.com/post/141114596935/streaming-15032k16-ok-first-sorry-about-the --> copy and paste that because links aren't working rn ugh)
> 
> It completely killed me and I have since lost all sense of dignity. Forgive me for this horrible, completely devoid of plot fluff.

__Here we go again  
I kinda wanna be more than friends  
So take it easy on me  
I'm afraid  
You're never satisfied  
  
Here we go again  
We're sick like animals  
We play pretend  
You're just  
A cannibal  
And I'm afraid  
I won't get out alive  
No, I won't sleep tonight  


\- "Animals" Neon Trees

* * *

There was a glint in Sirius’s eyes that Remus knew only too well.

 

“No,” he declared, quickly trying to bury himself in his Transfigurations book again,because he had a test next week, darn it, refusing to give in, “I will  _ not _ , Black, and there’s nothing you can do that will change my mind.”

 

His best friend pouted characteristically, slumping down on one of the sofas in the Gryffindor Common Room, blowing a strand of rebellious dark hair from his face, arms crossed in front of him and blinking innocently, “When have I ever forced you to do something you didn’t want to do, Lupin? You wound me, truly.”

 

Remus narrowed his eyes, resigned himself to interrupt his much-needed study time and moved the book away, settling it gently on the table, holding up his index finger as he returned to his seat, “Halloween prank last year, when  _ I _ was forced to distract all of the teachers while you imbeciles frantically fixed a horrible prank-”

 

“Moony, you can’t count that -!”

 

He held up another finger, blatantly ignoring Sirius’s protests, “-when you all got caught and I had to sneak into McGonagall’s office in the middle of the night  _ two months ago _ , you children,  _ and she thought I was coming on to her _ -”

 

Sirius just scrunched up his nose and sighed, glaring indignantly, as if he knew he could defend himself but wasn’t going to do it. The little brat was always too aristocratic for his own good. Remus glared at him. McGonagall still couldn’t look at him in the eyes without tensing up and  making half-thought excuses to be anywhere else, and Peter’s badly-hidden giggling every time it happened didn’t help, either.

 

So he stubbornly continued with the listing the utter catastrophes he’d have to clean up. And didn’t admit that, sometimes, just sometimes,like  when he caught the three of them whispering and they all quieted once he came into the room grinning sheepishly, he didn’t feel like he was part of the Marauders at all. Maybe he was  just their fixer for when their mad plans went wrong, indebted because nobody would accept a werewolf otherwise.

 

But Remus didn’t like to think about that.

 

Another finger, “The House-Elf disaster in fourth year -”

 

“You’re still bitter about that?! Let it g -”

 

“- _ Lily’s underwear _ ,  _ Padfoot _ .”

 

“...I’ll give you that one. Yep, shutting my gob right now. You’re the best. We all adore you, oh magnificent being of light.”

 

Remus humphed, closing his fist and reclining on his seat, suspicious, crossing his legs and trying to appear as insightful as Dumbledore (it was always harder without the beard, but he believed in himself), “What are you trying to get then, Dog Star?”

 

Sirius hesitated for a moment, rubbing circles on the upholstery, swallowing (and Remus closed his eyes to avoid staring at his throat with shining eyes, like he was doing so often, because  _ best friends didn’t do that _ ), and looked up, biting his red, full ( _ fuck, Lupin _ ) lips, “There’s a...There’s a muggle rock concert coming up soon.”

 

Remus blinked, surprised that that was all there was to it, “And? You need help sneaking out? You’ve always managed without my help,” he snorted, “Hell, I’m sure James will help you, if you tell him you’re seeing those ‘Pistol Shags’.”

 

“It’s the  _ Sex Pistols _ , Moony, don’t blaspheme,” he winked at him, and Remus’s breath caught in his throat, his grip on his robe tightening and praying to Merlin he wasn’t blushing. His best friend cleared his throat,  “I don’t need help, I’m a master at escaping the school. Wards fear  _ me _ , be  _ sirius _ .” Remus groaned. Sirius got quiet again, looking at his hands, and suddenly lifted his head to blurt out, refusing to meet his eyes, “I was wondering if you’d like to come with me, maybe?”

 

“Come with you?” he frowned, “I’m not a fan of Muggle bands, you always tells me I’m annoying when you’re listening to them on your holy record player  _ even though I’m a half-blood _ , you wanker, and…” he trailed off, looking at his friend’s expression.

 

He was biting his lips, looking mortified, cheeks red, “I, um. No. I meant, as in, you and me. Alone. As a...thing.”

 

Remus froze, hands stilling.

 

He  _ knew _ he had to say something, instead of gaping like a fish at Sirius, but, before he could fumbled his way through desperately accepting the invitation and squealing in a very manly way for two hours, his friend’s face closed off, apparently thinking Remus wasn’t interested in the slightest.

 

“Oh, fuck,” he muttered under his breath, face going pale and looking, frankly, sick, moving quickly to stand up, “This was a stupid idea, I shouldn’t have -”

 

“Wait!” Remus sprang to his feet, eyes wild, limbs sprawling out everywhere as he frantically threw his arm out to grab Sirius before he could leave, cheeks as red as they could get, “I’d love to go with you, Sirius,” he said as sincerely as he could, trying to make his tone as normal as possible. Merlin’s pants, he really  _ was _ shite at not fancying his best friend.

 

But, to his relief, Sirius brightened, a beaming smile lighting up his expression, and he ducked his head, as if he was embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck with innate grace that made Remus want to drool for hours on end, and said, cheeky, “It’s a date, then,” which made him blush probably even more.

 

His friend laughed easily, innocently, and gave him a kiss on the cheek so fast that Remus had no time for anything else other than to stand there, dumbfounded, and he grinned maddeningly, racing down the corridor and raising a hand up, saying, “I’m picking out your clothes, Moony! Be ready at 4!”

 

...

 

Remus was  _ not _ ready at 4.

 

What Remus  _ was _ at 4 am was  _ fucking panicking _ .

 

“I can’t do this,” he shook his head desperately, trying to lock the bathroom door, because if he came out then he’d be in their dormitory, where Sirius could arrive  _ at any moment _ , whining, “It was just a joke, I’m sure.”

 

“Oh no you don’t,” Lily snapped (they’d gotten much closer since the Underwear Incident That Is Never Mentioned Unless You Like Dealing With A Grumpy James), flapping at his hands with determination, “You are going to do this,and you will be spectacular, and you will tell me  _ all _ about your sex life while I pretend it isn’t Sirius Black you’re talking about.”

 

Remus winced, “I’m not sure being invited to a concert ends in intercourse, Evans. I’m pretty sure it was just a hang out, you know. Just, uh, a ‘bromance’ thing.” He frowned, “And I wouldn’t talk to you about my sex life, Merlin. I’m calm, anyway.”

 

The redhead raised an eyebrow, pointing at the pile of blankets that Remus had used as a hiding place until she’d stormed in, demanding he give her his DADA notes. She’d found Remus trying to stealthily leave the country and become a hermit in Scotland under the name of “Humphrey Bogart”. ("It was legal," he'd protested weakly.)

 

“Remus,” she sighed, her voice softer, and put her hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look at him in the eyes. Hers were a shimmering, captivating green that made him blink. “I know you’re scared. Maybe Potter and Pettigrew are both oblivious, but anyone  _ with a brain _ can see you two flirting and generally being a word away from clawing at each other’s robes,” Remus bit his lip. Was he that obvious? Lily caught his look, “Yes, you are, idiots. I get uncomfortable when you argue about anything, it’s such blatant  _ foreplay _ . Now, I’m going to leave, and  _ you _ are going to stay here, ready, until your  _ date _ comes by and picks out your clothes, because apparently,” she smirked, “you’re a kept boy. I just hope he lets you wear trousers, pretty boy.”

 

Remus shoved at her lightly, not knowing how to thank her for being so... _ Lily _ , and stared at his boring, jumper filled closet in horror, “I’m going to die.”

 

Evans just snorted as she closed the door, because she was truly an evil harpy at heart.

 

James was completely and utterly  _ fucked _ .

 

…

 

Sirius showed up ten minutes late, just as Remus had expected, with a sheepish grin and looking the most devastatingly gorgeous he’d ever seen him.

 

His t-shirt (and Merlin, it was so open at the front that it could probably be classified as a cleavage) was loose, rolled up to his elbows, which let Remus see tantalizing arms that he wanted to touch ( ~~ and maybe lick ~~ ), no matter how much he scolded himself, and read “That punk  ~~ bitch ~~ ” for some reason. Classic Sirius, he thought fondly.

 

His trousers, on the other hand.

 

Remus was really,  _ really _ glad Lily had made him have a glass of water and practice buddhist meditation techniques before, because he wasn’t  _ ready _ . 

 

Sirius was wearing the most sinful skin-tight leather trousers in human existence, ripped everywhere, showing more and more of his legs at every glance that Remus dared (just in case he fainted, or something). There was, he noticed with amusement, a dog paw printed on top of what would be his thighs, because Sirius was incorrigible. 

 

Remus tried not to whimper, and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

 

His best friend  _ blushed _ and looked at his feet, shuffling, “Um, it’s a very cool concert. Gotta look my best, even though I’m always irresistible,” he brightened immediately, “Let’s go and choose your amazing outfit, then, Moony!”

 

Moony himself groaned, waggling his finger at him, “If you  _ dare _ make me look ridiculous and barely dressed, like  _ you _ -”

 

“You’ll what? Study me to death? Not read me a bedtime story? Tuck me into bed a little later than usual,  _ mom _ ?” Sirius grinned, showing his teeth teasingly and inviting himself in, whistling cheerfully.

 

“Oh, shut up,” Remus grumbled, barely resisting and leaning against the door frame. He thanked every deity in modern religion that James and Peter were out, busy with a Herbology project that had to be finished in the greenhouse-

 

Sirius rummaged through his part of the shared closet for a while (and really, where had he gotten dressed if Remus had been huddling in their dormitory for two hours?), bent down so he could search the drawers properly, tongue sticking out of the left side of his mouth, leather trousers stretched in just the right places, and Remus had to pinch himself a few times to make sure he wasn’t having a wonderful, tremendously vivid dream.

 

_ It’s just Sirius _ , he told himself, breathing in deeply,  _ he loves Chocolate Frogs and was once caught hanging from the Great Hall’s chandeliers starkers. It doesn’t matter.  _

 

Sirius jumped up, victorious, waving the selected items in his hand and looking terribly pleased with himself, which made Remus narrow his eyes, certain that this was going to be another of  _ those _ occasions in which Sirius regrettably got his way, despite his loud and completely rational complaints.

 

When he saw the clothes, he was reminded, rather bitterly, that he was always right.

 

…

 

Remus stared at himself in dismay, praying that there was more fabric than he’d thought. There was absolutely no way Sirius was, well, serious. His trousers didn’t even cover his knees! And there was no talking about the  _ sleeveless _ t-shirt with “Animal Instinct” written on it, because Sirius had the most twisted sense of humour in the world.

 

“I’m not going to come out, Black,” he yelled from the bathroom, too chicken to strip in front of him, “I don’t care what you pay me!”

 

“But  _ Moony _ , do it for meeeee?”

 

“Nope. I refuse. I have some dignity left, you know, unlike some others I could name. There is no way I’m going to be in public wearing this. I’m barely  _ wearing _ anything! You menace!”

 

Sirius pouted, which was Remus’s ultimate weakness and the git knew it, so he settled for fuming and crossing his arms, snapping, “Fine!” and resigning himself to a lifetime of horrid teasing, stepping into the dormitory so his friend (date? possible future significant other? Oh, Merlin) could see him.

 

He was prepared for awkward compliments, for disgusted looks, for laughter. He wasn’t prepared for Sirius’s jaw to basically detach itself from the rest of his face, eyes wide as saucers.

 

His friend basically stared at him for endless seconds, cheeks flushing, gaping.

 

“What? What’s wrong?” Remus looked down at himself, worried, “What?”

 

Sirius quickly shut his mouth, shaking his head and looking panicked, forcibly chuckling, “Ahhh, nothing. It’s just…” he coughed a little, his long dark hair falling on top of his eyes, “You look dashing, is all.”

 

Remus blushed, rubbing at the back of his neck and sticking his other hand in his pocket, self-conscious and maybe starting to get excited, “So...shall we escape the castle, then?”

 

His friend, looking more like the eleven year old that the werewolf had met on his first day of school, terrified of the Shrieking Shack that he’d already been informed of and feeling like a horrible outsider, a dork who joked a lot and hid whenever he threw a particularly scandalous prank, smiled conspiratorially.

He walked until he was behind him, put a determined hand on his back, and led him, eyes glinting.

 

…

 

Both of them were trying to quietly enter one of Hogwart’s many secret exits (this time, a tunnel near the dungeons that would take them to Hogsmeade, where Sirius had a car waiting so they could get to the concert on time) when James and Peter caught them.

 

There was a moment in which nobody said anything, the four of them too stunned to speak, and then James started laughing his arse off, eyes tearing up, so hard that he had to support his weight on the wall so as not to fall off. Peter wasn’t much further behind, giggling and pointing at Remus’s clothes, which okay, were pretty short, but not  _ that _ bad. He sniffed and ignored him, head held high.

 

Sirius groaned, rubbing at his eyes, “Wow, guys, really mature.”

 

“Sorry, mate,” James grinned, finally stopping to take a breath, glasses crooked, “I just didn’t think tonight was your  _ date _ , lovebirds.”

 

Remus froze, suddenly very cold when he’d been bubbling just seconds earlier. What if...what if Peter and James didn’t like...people like him and Sirius? What if...he bit his lip. What if they were mad, or disgusted or…? Instinctively, he made a move to get away from Sirius, nervous, but the other boy took a hold of his hand and stubbornly made him remain by his side.

 

James smirked, “Get a room, you two,” and seemed ready to start laughing again when Remus blushed.

 

Peter looked horrified, “But James, their room is  _ our _ room! Your plan is flawed, O  incredible planner!”

 

James frowned, massaging his hairless chin thoughtfully, “Yes, my faithful servant. There is in fact an error in our strategy. Must think again.”

 

And then Peter glanced behind him and giggled again, tears in his eyes, “Oh, mate, oh mate, you have to see this,” he touched Remus’s back, still incoherent, and held up a piece of paper that said “Property of Sirius Black.”

 

The Black in question froze like a deer in the headlights, and cleared his throat when Remus glared at him, still a bit nervous, “Um, that was a joke? And anyway, it’s not as if it isn’t true.”

 

James rolled his eyes, “Go and have fun, you wankers, before I yell at Peeves.”

 

Remus tried for a light-hearted response even though he wasn’t yet completely confident, “Let’s just go, Sirius, before James does a Queen Victoria impersonation again.”

 

“I’ll have you know I am a master at it, you wanker!”

 

Sirius pulled him away from his arm and shut the door behind them before they could follow, eyes glinting in the almost-complete darkness of the tunnel, and Remus realized they were still holding hands.

 

He squeezed. Sirius squeezed back.

 

…

 

The concert was surprisingly not horrifying.

 

Knowing Sirius (and more importantly, hearing him blast vinyl and his cassettes in the wee hours of the morning) he’d expected loud screaming and rebellious lyrics about “breaking out” and “bringing down the system”, but it was actually pretty tame.

 

Sirius caught him looking appraisingly at the posters, and said, cheeks still warm from the heater inside the car they’d gotten at Hogsmeade, “I thought you might appreciate it, since you’re so boring and have the music taste of an uneducated garden slug.”

 

He raised an eyebrow, “Can’t I be an  _ educated _ garden slug?”

 

Sirius just shrugged innocently, pulling him a little bit closer and smiling just slightly wider, “You tell me, Moony.”

 

He could feel the warmth radiating from Sirius, he realized, which was fortunate considering that his  _ date _ had dressed him up with a beach festival in mind, rather than a midnight concert, and he could smell his cologne and shampoo and see an eyelash that had fallen on his cheek. His breath caught in his throat, and Sirius grinned, dragging him along the place.

 

“Led Zeppelin is probably my favourite,” he admitted, ducking his head and not looking directly at Remus, “I, uh, I really hope you like them.”

 

“I’m sure I will, dork,” he ruffled Sirius’s hair, smirking when he scowled at him and tried to fix it, huffing indignantly, “Now let’s go and find the stage.”

 

…

After two hours of sweaty bodies, loud yelling, emotional sing-alongs and some gross groping from overexcited teenage girls, Remus was exhausted.

 

Sirius, on the other hand, was  _ glowing _ . His face had lit up the moment the lead singer had started the first song, breath catching, and he’d even grabbed Remus’s hands, too keyed up to think about it, apparently, his head moving up and down with the beat. As the night had gone deeper into the morning, Remus had felt feather-light touches on his hips, a hesitant but daring grip on his waist, the brush of soft fingers against his arm, trailing up and downwards,and he’d prayed to every powerful dead wizard in history that he didn’t faint in front of all those people.

 

When the show was over, he wasn’t surprised to realize he had barely listened to any song, too focused on dark eyes and too-tight trousers to pay attention to anything else.

 

“Moony?” came Sirius’s voice, still rough from shouting so much, and he glanced up.

 

“Yeah. Should we go back to the dormitory now?” he really, really didn’t want to.

 

The other boy smirked, “Nah, I have an idea,”

 

In Sirius’s strange, completely irrational and bewildering language, “an idea” meant “something that McGonagall, the love of my life, my sun and stars, would crucify us for”. Remus rolled his eyes, exhaling softly and gave in, just for one night.

 

…

 

Sirius was utterly, irrevocably, unsurprisingly  _ mad _ .

 

He crossed his arms, refusing to even look at him, “Nope. I’m not doing this. Bye bye, I’ll go back to the room now, you crazy wanker.”

 

Sirius pouted ( _ fuck _ ) and rested his weight on the broom’s hilt, looking unfairly adorable when the moon (full moon would be soon, he noted, anxious despite years of being used to it) shone on his black hair, “But  _ Moony… _ ”

 

Remus didn’t relent, glaring at him and shivering, “I can’t believe you brought us to a deserted clearing. We could get murdered, for all you know!” 

 

Sirius immediately saw him trying to warm himself up, and his eyes widened. He bit his lip and stared at the ground, looking guilty, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would be this cold. You just, uh, you just looked really good.”

 

He scratched the back of his neck, as if embarrassed, and Remus just  _ had _ to ask, “Do you want to be boyfriends, Padfoot? Because, if you’re just experimenting, if this was all a  _ joke _ , I can’t -”

 

“No, no!” his friend’s eyes were even bigger, and he took a step towards Remus, accidentally hitting himself in the face with the broom, which made Remus snort in spite of himself. Sirius smiled faintly, winced and kept talking, “I...I’ve been wanting to ask you out for the better part of three months now.”

 

Remus blinked, surprised, and a little pleased, a tentative smile on his face, “Really? I...I really need you to mean it, Sirius. If we do this...well, marauders have to stick together, is all. And...you know what I am,” he swallowed.

 

The other boy smiled, so disarmingly that Remus worried about his knees giving out, “What you are, Moony, is incredible. I’m sure and I want to try,” he looked sheepish for a second, hands going to grasp the broom more comfortably, “And we could also fly. Seeing as I brought the brooms and everything. It would be disrespectful of you not to join me, Remus Lupin.”

 

He rolled his eyes and walked up to him, so close that their noses were almost touching, and whispered, “Oh, shut up and let me beat you, Black,” smug when Sirius flushed, his breath hitching.

 

Predictably, Remus won, because Sirius was complete  _ shite _ at looking for the snitch, even if he was an impressive beater, but what really counted was the way they laughed, joyous and free, while flying around, occasionally shushing themselves when they thought they were visible from Hogwarts.

 

…

 

“ _ Sshhh _ ,” Remus glared, pressing his finger against his lips insistently, shaking his head at his friend.

 

Sirius lifted his hands up and shrugged his shoulders, sheepishly grinning, and mouthed “Sorry.”

 

He was gonna get them caught, dammit. Remus grumbled and  shoved his wand in Sirius’s face until he took a step back, looking at it in alarm, “Just follow me, I’m already knackered.”

 

He winked at Remus, hands going to his hips, “Why, Remus, I thought we could extend the  _ fun _ to your bed.”

 

The boy in question raised his eyebrow, amused despite himself, “My bed? You mean, the one that is currently blocked by all of  _ your _ Quidditch magazines and equipment that you conveniently forget to move every time? I’ve been hogging the armchair for about three nights now.”

 

Sirius winced guiltily, “Oops.”

 

Remus just rolled his eyes and grabbed him by the shoulders, struggling to ignore how warm Sirius was, even though they’d been out flying for hours, the chilly night air digging into their skin. He’d finally conjured up a coat, shivering too hard to play, but Sirius had refused, because apparently “no one should hide this amazing tee, Lupin, and you should already know this. Frankly, I’m offended,” which in Sirius-speak meant “I am too embarrassed to admit that I am freezing.”

 

Both of them stumbled a few times before reaching the Fat Lady, who tsked at them before letting them in with a wink at Remus and an appraising, “You clean up well, dear,” that made his ears burn and Sirius fight to keep his laughter in.

 

“If you say  _ one word _ ,” he threatened, waggling a finger at him.

 

The other boy mimed zipping his mouth and throwing away the key, but giggled delightfully (which was feckin adorable, Merlin curse him) .

 

Remus stopped when he was about to open their dormitory room, hesitating. He felt the night shouldn’t end like this, with jokes and half-serious threats. This was supposed to be a  _ date _ , for Merlin’s sake. 

 

“I had a really great time tonight,” he whispered, turning back to Sirius, not knowing what to do with his hands and yet being perfectly aware of what and where he wanted to touch.

 

His friend (his  _ best  _ friend, who’d been there to hold his hair up the first time he had gotten properly hammered, who’d punched Lucius Malfoy in the face when he’d commented that Remus “looked like a pale vampire, do you go roaming in the night, too, Lupin?”, and who’d never hesitated to brighten up his day in the silliest way possible) snorted, said, “You’re the cheesiest werewolf in history,” and kissed him, rough hands taking a hold of his cheeks confidently, warm breath as he exhaled into his mouth, body moving instinctively to get just a little closer to his, and Remus made a small, desperate sound, moving his arms around him and shutting his eyes tight so he’d never have to let go.

 

It took them some time to get into the dormitories.

 

(Remus didn’t regret it.)

 

(Hint: they didn’t need to clear Remus’s bed.)

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Kudos and Comments are always welcome!


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